Unsafe, illegal in all aspects

The Philippines is still considered one of the more unsafe countries for workers, and an owner of a building in Pasay City has shown why. Eight employees were killed when they could not get out of a burning building owned by Juanito Go, who also owns a business inside the building. Investigations showed that the room where the employees were housed was padlocked from the outside. This was to prevent them from leaving the building. Others were lucky enough to crawl out of grated windows and air conditioning vents.

Go runs a company that assembles electronic equipment. To put it bluntly, he runs a sweatshop, recruiting his employees from provinces, promising good wages and working conditions. But when they get here, it is all but the promises. They are paid pittance wages, oftentimes irregularly. The working conditions are also less than desirable. And they are practically prisoners, locked up in the building to prevent them from going back to their provinces, and apparently only given three days off per year. No wonder he has to lock them up.

Go now faces charges of negligence resulting in multiple homicide, operating without a business permit and human trafficking. Pretty heavy offenses. But the question is, why were these violations only discovered now? According to the barangay captain, Go has been the subject of numerous complaints pertaining to the way he treats his employees. If that is so, why wasn't there any action to deal with him by DOLE, the local government or even the barangay captain himself? If the fire did not occur, this would have continued on for God knows how long!

Government agencies like DOLE are always breathing down small businesses, checking on how the employees are being treated, whether they get the correct wages, overtime pay, leaves, and the like. Why did a business like this go unchecked, even with the knowledge of the barangay captain as to what is going on? I just find it ridiculous for the barangay captain to say that there are complaints regarding the way Go conducts business, and yet nothing was done. A fire had to happen before people start talking that they care.

I'm sure this isn't the only business that operates like this. Violations left and right, with only profit in the minds of the owners, not caring for the safety and well-being of their employees. They have to be exposed and dealt with harshly. As harshly as the small businesses are dealt with by government. As for the barangay captain, I believe he has to be investigated as well.

After all, he is the first official of government that should always have his ears to the ground.